Infrared polarization measurements of surface and buried antipersonnel landmines

Frank Cremer; Wim de Jong; Klamer Schutte

doi:10.1117/12.445468

Translator Disclaimer

18 October 2001 Infrared polarization measurements of surface and buried antipersonnel landmines

Frank Cremer, Wim de Jong, Klamer Schutte

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4394, Detection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets VI; (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.445468
Event: Aerospace/Defense Sensing, Simulation, and Controls, 2001, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

Linear polarization of Thermal InfraRed (TIR) radiation occurs whenever radiation is reflected or emitted from a smooth surface (such as the top of a landmine) and observed from a grazing angle. The background (soil and vegetation) is generally much rougher and therefore has less pronounced linear polarized radiation. This difference in polarization can be used to enhanced detection of land mines using TIR cameras. A measurement setup is constructed for measurement of polarized TIR images. This setup contains a rotating polarization filter which rotates synchronously with the frame sync of the camera. Either a Long wave InfraRed (LWIR) or a Mid Wave InfaRed (MWIR) camera can be mounted behind the rotating polarization filter. The synchronisation allows a sequence of images to be taken with a predefined constant angle of rotation between the images. Out of this image sequence three independent Stokes images are calculated, consisting of the unpolarized part, the vertical/horizontal polarizations and the two diagonal polarizations. An initial model is developed that describes the polarization due to reflection of and emission from a smooth surface. This model predicts the linear polarization for a landmine `illuminated' by a source that is either hotter or cooler than the surface of the landmine. The measurement setup is used indoors to validate the model. The measurements agree well with the model predictions.

Citation Download Citation

Frank Cremer, Wim de Jong, and Klamer Schutte "Infrared polarization measurements of surface and buried antipersonnel landmines", Proc. SPIE 4394, Detection and Remediation Technologies for Mines and Minelike Targets VI, (18 October 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.445468

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE